Books I Recommend: Sharks, Caves, and One Fierce Hedgehog

July 16, 2024

As I mentioned last week, our three grandchildren, Emma (15), Lila (12), and Roland (7) have been visiting us in San Antonio. The first full day of their trip, we went to the Landa Library and loaded up on books. Don and I planned several museum and sightseeing days, so I checked out a few nonfiction books to build background knowledge and excitement for our adventures. The kids found a lot of engaging books on their own. This week’s list of recommendations includes some of the books we read (or skimmed) together. (This list includes randomly-selected titles released between 2015 and 2024.)

The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey.

(Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024)

In the summer, you can drive down Texas farm roads and see them—local farmers selling watermelons, peaches, onions and other fresh produce beside the road. Lots of small towns hold farmers markets on the weekends, too. It doesn’t feel like summer to me until I buy a paper bag filled with peaches off a pickup truck. Shopping locally supports small farms and the fruits and vegetables taste better.

In The Last Stand, readers meet a young boy who helps his grandfather run a produce stand at the local farmers market every week. He is the last Black farmer to keep his stand going and Papa has many loyal customers. 

When Papa gets too tired to run the stand, his grandson has to harvest produce and set up the stand by himself. Their neighbors and customers pitch in to help. How long can the stand remain open? Who will run it when Papa can’t anymore? This is a beautiful book about community and valuing traditions.

Pizza My Heart (Norma and Belly #3) by Mika Song.

(Random House Graphic, 2022)

I have often claimed that it’s impossible to be sad when you are reading a children’s book about chickens. I am adding squirrels to my list. Squirrels are the court jesters of backyards all over. You likely spend more time laughing at squirrels than chickens. Norma and Belly, the bushy-tailed stars of their own graphic novel series, are guaranteed to lift your spirits. 

Our two granddaughters, Emma and Lila, have enjoyed the Norma and Belly series from the first book, Donut Feed the Squirrels. We missed reading Pizza My Heart together, so we snagged it at the library when we saw it. The silly antics of the food-motivated squirrels and the wordplay and puns will entertain readers of all ages. This is a great series for introducing graphic novels to young readers. 

Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom by Cate Berry, illustrated by Margherita Grasso.

(Page Street Kids, 2024)

When I was a teacher, someone else on our hall always had a classroom pet. My teaching partner, Maria, had a sugar glider. Kids took it home over the school breaks. I could never commit to a classroom pet. Instead of being the cool teacher with the live animal in my room, I had to settle for being the cool teacher with all of the books in my room. It was a lot cleaner, I promise. 

Scorch, the hedgehog, is not interested in being an adorable classroom pet. Scorch wants to be a fierce warrior. The problem? No one can resist Scorch’s innate cuteness. No matter how much Scorch tries to appear dangerous, no one believes it. How can Scorch get anyone’s attention? Readers will love the hilarious ending. 

Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom releases today! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy for review.

Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock.

(Orchard Books, 2022)

During their visit, we took our grandkids to Natural Bridge Caverns, a large network of underground caves about an hour outside of San Antonio. They had never seen cave formation before, and I knew just the book to get them excited for the trip. Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman is visually beautiful—with gorgeous illustrations by Kalen Chock. The descriptive language invites readers into the subterranean world and the information provides readers with a good introduction to caves and their formation. The extensive back matter offers more information about caves and a list of resources. 

Sharks (A Day in the Life): What Do Great Whites, Hammerheads, and Whale Sharks Get Up to All Day? by Carlee Jackson, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

(Neon Squid, 2022)

Roland, our seven-year-old grandson, is fascinated with sharks. Many kids his age are fascinated with sharks, but Roland talks about sharks all day long. When our grandkids visit us in San Antonio, we always take them to the Witte Museum. The museum always features outstanding traveling exhibits. When we found out that an Australian shark exhibit was touring this summer, we knew Roland and his sisters would love it.

We were not wrong. We spent almost two hours wandering the exhibit—reading plaques, watching video interviews with scientists, and examining lots of shark artifacts. I will never forget Roland’s amazement when he discovered his favorite shark, the basking shark, featured on a large display. He was transfixed.

Of course, we needed to read about sharks when we got home. Sharks: What Do Great Whites, Hammerheads, and Whale Sharks Get Up To All Day? gives readers a glimpse into the habits and instincts of three popular sharks. The playful illustrations and amusing tone will invite readers to learn more about these fascinating and important animals. 

Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to be Wild by Margarita Engle, photographs by Sam Trull.

(National Geographic Kids, 2023)

I bought this book when it came out last year because Margarita Engle wrote it. She’s one of my favorite poets for young people. I was surprised to see her write an animal book for National Geographic because she frequently writes biographical poetry. This book is the biography of one special sloth! Engle’s lush word choices and poet’s instincts bring readers right into the South American rainforest where sloths make their home. 

We meet Destiny, a baby sloth that has been separated from her mother and injured one eye. Rescuers bring Destiny to the sloth rescue center, where she receives medical care and love. Most importantly, the staff teaches Destiny how to climb trees and find food, so that she can return to the wild. Sloths remain a popular animal with many kids, and they will love following Destiny’s journey from critical care to independence. 

 

Koala Hospital (Wildlife Rescue) by Suzi Eszterhas.

(Owlkids, 2015)

When you take your grandkids to the library, they throw koala books into the bag. I have no other explanation for how we wound up with this one. No one was looking for koalas, but we found them anyway. 

Koala Hospital describes the important work of the volunteers and staff who run the Port Macquarie, Australia koala rescue facility. We really enjoyed the Q & A section at the end with author and wildlife photographer, Suzi Eszterhas. 

Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day by Jen Breach, illustrated by 14 Global Artists.

(What on Earth Books, 2024)

If you are looking for a book to teach kids about the solstice, look no further. Jen Breach describes the solstice from the perspective of children in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, creating a book about differing perspectives as well as Earth’s rotations. When it is the longest day of the year in the United States, children below the Equator experience the shortest day. How can it be the shortest and longest day at the same time? 14 artists from around the world share their solstice experiences from their home countries. 

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson.

(Millbrook Press, 2015)

What is your favorite sea creature? If you don’t know, you should probably come up with something before you meet our grandson, Roland. At seven, he knows a staggering amount of random information about animals, especially sea animals. He will quiz you! My favorite sea creature is the mantis shrimp. If you are not familiar with these amazing, ferocious crustaceans, check out this Nat Geo video. After finding a few shark books at the library, Roland decided that I needed at least one book about mantis shrimp.

Searching the library catalog, we found this little gem. When Lunch Fights Back not only features the marvelous mantis shrimp, it highlights several other animals with surprising adaptations that provide defense—like poisonous slime and toe spikes!

*****

Our grandkids found a lot of interesting books to read during their visit! I hope you are enjoying some great reading experiences this summer, too. What are the books that you are enjoying right now? Please share your recommendations in the comments.

Look for a giveaway later this week with some of the books featured here!

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